Harry Potter and Life
by emmares
Summary: My take on what happened after the battle at Hogwarts, how they moved on and continued to live their lives. Strictly canon pairings. Disc: I do not own Harry Potter
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The first thing he felt was pain. Where exactly that pain came from, he had yet to determine. Slowly, he became aware of his surroundings. He was lying on something soft, that much was obvious. And there was a familiar scent lingering in the air, although he couldn't quite grasp what it was. It felt like his soul was slowly trickling back into his body.

The pain, now clearer, was coming mainly from his chest, he determined. He opened his eyes and groaned, it felt like someone had poured the entire desert of Sahara in them. He sat up, and looked around. He was sitting in the four poster bed he had slept in for most of the past seven years.

The memories came back, crashing down on him. The battle, Fred and Remus and Tonks. It´s over, it´s finally done. He should feel relived, but all he felt was emptiness. The relief would come, eventually, but at that moment, there was too much to grieve. The losses were too great. He looked to the bedside table where an empty bottle, which he remembered had contained a dreamless-sleep potion given to him by Hermione, stood.

Almost as if on autopilot, he stood up and moved to the bathroom he used to share with Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus. It was empty now, much to his relief. He took of his clothes and got into the shower, turning the water on and the heat up. Blindly, he picked up a bottle of shampoo and started rinsing his hair. First once, then again until he finally felt like he had gotten out the last of the grime and dirt. Grabbing a soap, he started washing every inch of himself, ignoring the pain from all the countless cuts he had all over his body. When he was done, he just stood there, letting the water run over him. After a minor eternity he stepped out and grabbed one of the towels hanging right by the shower. Carelessly he started drying himself. All too soon he had completed that task and was left to stare at himself in the large mirror. The first thing he noticed was the giant, purple bruise spreading across his entire chest. The bruise was the cause of the pain that had initially woken him up. He continued to look at his reflection, stopping now and then to heal some larger cuts with the wand he hardly even realized he had brought with him into the bathroom.

He felt a slight tinge of happiness over the feeling of the familiar wand in his hand, like the two had missed each other during those long months of being apart. But the feeling was soon overtaken by a heavy sense of grief.

He walked back out into the room and noticed Ron and Hermione, sleeping entangled on the bed that had previously belonged to Ron. He didn't know if they had been there before or if they arrived while he was in the shower, but he felt a sense of relief seeing them, like his brain had needed evidence to convince him that they were alive. With heavy steps, he returned back to his own bed and fell asleep before his head even reached the pillow.

He awoke, not to pain this time, but to someone he really didn't expect.

"Kreacher" he said, or rather, tried to say. The only thing that came out of his throat was a hoarse cackling sound. The house elf handed him a goblet with what turned out to be pumpkin juice. Kreacher then handed him a tray of sandwiches.

"Master Harry must eat" he said insistently. Harry just nodded and grabbed a sandwich.

Kreacher made sure Harry ate all of the sandwiches before he disappeared with a pop and returned soon after with a potion and a piece of paper.

"Madam Pomfrey insists that Master drink this, and this is from the professor McGonagall. Kreacher must go now, they need him in the kitchen. Master must call if he needs anything" and with that he disappeared with a final pop. Harry regarded the potion suspiciously before determining that it probably wasn't poison and drinking it in one large gulp. It was, as he expected, positively disgusting but effective. After just a couple of seconds the pain melted away and he sighed of relief. Secondly came the note from McGonagall.

 _Mr. Potter._

 _Meet me in the headmaster's office at eleven, I believe that there are things that need discussing._

He sighed again, this time for another reason. He didn't want to talk to McGonagall, he could guess what it was she wanted to discuss and he wasn't ready to talk about it. But still he looked at the watch one the bedside table. 10.47. A quick look out the window told him that it was eleven in the morning rather than night. Reluctantly he got up from the bed and, after only a moment´s hesitation, pulled on his invisibility cloak before leaving the room.

The hallways were almost deserted, he presumed most people were still in the Great Hall or sleeping, so the walk to the headmaster´s office didn't take that very long. The statue that guarded the entrance had been repaired and put back in its place, which was unfortunate since he didn´t know the password.

"Umm, I have a meeting with Professor McGonagall" he said, suddenly feeling like a first year in trouble. The statue gave him a once over before nodding and swinging to the side to reveal the moving staircase. Soon he stood before the large oak door. Hesitantly he knocked and got a faint "Come in" as response. He opened the door to reveal a grim looking Minerva McGonagall, sitting behind the large desk.

"Sit Potter" she said and motioned for the chair he knew all to well.

"So" she continued after he was seated "I presume that the details concerning what exactly happened between you and you-know… Voldemort is still strictly confidential" she stopped, as if hoping he would oppose her, he just nodded. "Well then Potter, according to Miss Granger you have been asleep for almost 48 hours which means that there are a couple of things you should know". Some part of him recognized that he had probably broken some kind of personal record, but that part was overshadowed by the immense grief he was doing everything to suppress.

She paused again, waiting for him to say something, but he kept quiet until she cleared her throat and continued.

"It has decided that a memorial will be held, in honor of those who died in the battle" faces flashed briefly before his eyes and he nodded. "The ceremony will be held here at Hogwarts in about a month. Right now, we are assembling volunteers from the reparation works that needs to be done. Everyone who went to school this year will have to retake the year, because of the… insufficient education. All of this was announced last night" he nodded again, wanting the talk to be over. She continued to brief him on all that had happened when he was asleep before finally letting him go.

Instead of going to the Great Hall or the common room where there would be people who would want to talk to him about the last few days, he opted for the opposite direction. Still partly dumb, he walked until he found himself standing under the tree by the lake. It was peaceful and quiet, so he sat down, hidden from the prying eyes of the castle.

He had almost nodded off when he heard a voice shout his name. Alarmed he looked up, with his wand already halfway out of his pocket. But he dropped it after a second when he saw who it was.

She was as beautiful as usual, with her red hair flowing behind her, half walking half running towards him. Quickly he stood up to face her, suddenly nervous.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER" she shouted again when she came closer and, much to his surprise, slapped him across the face. "HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! AFTER REMUS, AND TONKS AND" her voice hitched "AND FRED!" her face was red, and her eyes glowing with anger and sadness. Up close he could see that she had been crying, her eyes res and puffy.

"I´m sorry" he said "but I had to". Immediately after he said it he knew that it had been a mistake.

"YOU HAD TO? YOU HAD TO?! THE ONLY THING YOU _HAD_ TO DO, WAS TO SURVIVE!" which I did, he thought but felt it unwise to say so.

"YOU! YOU LEFT ME FOR MONTHS, MONTHS! AND THEN THIS! YOU ABSOLUTE ARSE, YOU…" she was just about to continue when he put a hand over her mouth.

"I love you Ginny" he said, his voice thick "I love you and I left you. I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore or if you… if you met someone else. If that's the case I will leave you alone from now on. But if not… We can´t just pick it up where we left off, it doesn't work like that. But I would like to try, with something. Anything". Then he removed his hand from her mouth. She was quiet for a moment.

"You know I have six…" she paused and swallowed "five brothers who will tear you to pieces if you break up with me"

"I know" he said "although I´m not really worried about them, I´ve seen you Bat-Bogie hex in action and I have no intention of being on the receiving end of one off those. A small smile played over her lips.

"Good" she said and pulled him down with her so they both were leaning against the tree, her face buried in his chest and his face in her hair. It smelled wonderful, he thought, it smelled… like home.

"It´s going to be alright" she whispered.

"Yeah" he whispered back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They sat there under the tree for what seemed like an eternity. For a short while, he could let go of everything and just be. But, of course, it didn´t last nearly as long as he´d wanted.

"We should probably go inside" Ginny said.

"Yeah"

"Mom is probably sending out a search party after us any second". He sighed and started getting up. Soon they made their way to the castle, walking closely together, their hands wrapped firmly around the others.

It wasn't until they were standing outside the Great Hall that he stopped. The Hall was still filled with people, which he thought strange until he realized that it was dinner time. Quickly he let go of Ginny and went back into the shadows, gesturing to her to go ahead. He just couldn't. He couldn't face Mrs. Weasley, not now. Fred´s death was his fault, he had lured Voldemort into the castle. The feelings that he had been suppressing the entire day burst out and he felt his breath hitch.

A warm presence beside him told him that Ginny hadn't listened, of course not. She sat there beside him until his breathing finally calmed down, then helped him stand up.

"You need to do this, come on now" she urged him and nodded towards the doors. He shook his head.

"I can´t, not after… it´s my fault that…" his voice faltered. Ginny looked at him, anger once again showing in her eyes.

"If Fred had been here he would have smacked you for saying that". Harry just looked down.

"It´s not your fault, and no one blames you but yourself. So get of your sorry bum and get in there. Because we need you Harry, you are a part of our family. I need you. So don´t bail out on me now" her voice was fierce, but kind. Then she took his hand and practically dragged him towards the doors.

As they walked through the Hall, side by side, he looked around for familiar faces. He spotted Padma and Parvati Patil sitting closely together, Parvati crying on her sister´s shoulder. Not far from them sat Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot, they were both eating and looked like they had gotten to clean up as well.

The Weasley´s were not difficult to spot, the clutch of redheads sat at the far side of the table that usually was the Gryffindor table. As they approached they could hear Mrs. Weasley´s voice, with its familiar worried tone.

"But what if anything has happened to them! We should go out looking for them"

"I don´t think there will be any need for that my dear" Arthur Weasley responded, nodding in the direction of Harry and Ginny. As they sat down, he felt Ron´s eyes on him, but he just ignored his best friend and concentrated on answering Mrs. Weasley's questions.

They took the seats across from Hermione and Ron, which resulted in him ending up next to Percy. Thinking about the last time they met, it felt strange, but Percy hardly even seemed to notice him. His eyes were red and puffy, and his eyes never seemed to leave George who was sitting on the other side of the table.

Mrs. Weasley was bustling around, making sure everyone was eating, though neglecting herself. Eventually Mr. Weasley excused them from the table and led her out of the Great Hall. Almost immediately after they had left, George got up without a word and stalked out as well, Percy trailing after him. With only the four of them left at the table, Ron put his arm around Hermione and sighed.

"Mom has been like that ever since… well, that´s how she copes I guess. By taking care of everyone else". Hermione nodded, sniffling.

"I just can´t believe that they are gone" Ginny said quietly. A heavy silence settled over them, and soon they decided to try and get some sleep.

Sitting on the four poster bed, dressed in pajamas he´d gotten from his backpack (he didn't know how it got there but nevertheless was he thankful), he started letting go of the tight hold he had on his emotions. Slowly, they slipped back into his mind, making his eyes tear up.

"Hey" he looked up to see Ron standing there.

"C´mon mate, I know that look. You are blaming yourself for this, you and your stupid hero complex" Harry just looked at him.

"I might not be sensitive or tactful like Hermione, but I know how you work. And I´ll tell you, I understand you" Ron sighed and looked up at the ceiling "the thing is, you will probably never stop feeling guilt. It´s not a rational thing, but we can´t help it. And you have always been especially good at that. But right now, you need to start living your life. Bloody hell, you earned it. We all did."

Harry just looked at him for a long while before saying:

"That was the most mature thing I´ve ever heard you say" Ron thought about that for a moment, before shrugging and going back to his bed.

Two days later they started packing, preparing to go back to the Burrow. The term had officially been cancelled and already students were starting to leave. Everyone in the Weasley family (including Harry and Hermione) were going except for Charlie, who had volunteered to help rebuild Hogwarts and Bill and Fleur, who were returning to Shell Cottage.

Much to his dismay, he had not had the opportunity to talk to Ginny since that day by the lake. It had been two days and it seemed as if one of them were always surrounded by people, making it impossible for them to talk.

Meanwhile, the Ministry seemed to have broken out of their post traumatic shock and had finally, under the watchful eye of Kingsley Shacklebolt, started issuing orders of arrest. Kingsley, who knew how much Harry disliked being left out of the loop, kept him informed.

One of the first orders of arrest issued was for Dolores Umbridge. Her trial was to be held in three months, by then the Ministry reckoned they would have gathered most of the scattered Wizengamot. Harry had, after much convincing from Kingsley, agreed to act as a witness when that time came.

As they walked past the gates to the apparation point, Harry couldn't help but feel a bit relived. Hogwarts wasn't the same anymore. It was tainted, like the ghosts of everyone who had died still clung to the very atmosphere of the castle. And even though it hurt, he couldn't ever imagine going back.

They arrived just outside The Burrow because, Arthur explained, when the Ministry found out that they were planning to go home they had insisted on putting all kinds of protective enchantments over the house. Not just for Harry this time though, Ron and Hermione had also played a great part in the fall of Voldemort and everyone was worried about any eventual stray Death Eater out for revenge.

As soon as they got inside, George left the rest of them. They heard how he hesitated outside the room he used to share with Fred, before continuing, past the door and further up in the house. Moments later they heard a door slam and then everything went quiet, aside from Mrs. Weasley who had started sniffling the moment she walked through the door. She and Arthur continued into the sitting room while the others continued up the stairs to their respective rooms. When they passed Fred and George´s room, they all averted their eyes, except for Ginny who was staring intently at the door as if willing Fred to walk out and declare that the whole thing was a prank that he had played on them.

Soon they parted from Hermione and Ginny, who were sharing Ginny´s room, and continued up. The room looked exactly like it had when they left, complete with the orange everything and the spare bed that just never seemed to leave Ron´s room. The entire place smelled like soap, and Harry guessed that Mrs. Weasley had cleaned it before leaving to get rid of the stench the ghoul left. Remembering it, he was thankful that she had.

He and Ron stayed up there for most of the day, talking or just sitting in silence. It felt like forever ago since they just talked, with no imminent threat hanging over them. Neither of them mentioned the battle, like mentioning it would pop some kind of protective bubble they had put around themselves. It wasn't until a voice from downstairs called them to dinner that they became aware of the rest of the world again.

On their way down, they ran into George who was making his way up. He stopped for a second, looked at them with unseeing eyes, before continuing up and into the room that had previously belonged to Bill and Charlie.

Dinner was quiet, aside from occasional sniffles from Mrs. Weasley who seemed to have made it her mission to make sure that everyone ate at least two full plates while completely neglecting her own, which continued until Percy, of all people, gently forced her to sit and put food on her plate. She ate it quickly and then made a big deal about collecting the dishes and starting to wash them so violently that Harry feared that the enamel would fall off.

After dinner he, Ron, Ginny and Hermione retreated into the sitting room where they played exploding snap until Hermione declared that it was late and they made their way up to their respective rooms.

He was back in the cave, but this time Dumbledore wasn't there to save him. The inferi came closer and closer, he could make out Fred´s red hair, Tonks bright pink. They were all there, Lupin, Moody, Lavender Brown. Something grabbed his arm and he saw Sirius staring back at him with emotionless eyes, dragging him towards the water. He tried to fight, but it was no use. They drew him closer and closer, his feet were now almost touching the lake.

A cold feeling drew him back to reality. He looked up at the blurry figure standing beside him and fumbled for his glasses. Someone handed them to him, a someone that turned out to be Ron.

"You had a nightmare" Ron said, his voice slightly shaky "I couldn't wake you up". Harry noticed that he was dripping wet, the reason clear when he saw that Ron had his wand out.

"Thanks" he mumbled, too tired to say anything else. Ron just nodded and went back to his bed. After a minute, his loud snores filled the room and Harry grabbed his wand to dry himself before lying back down.

But he couldn't sleep. The inferi, their faces sharp in his memory, flashed before him until he got up and started making his way down the stairs. He was almost at the bottom floor when he heard voices, and stopped. He recognized Mrs. Weasley´s sobs and Mr. Weasley´s soothing baritone.

"I just can´t…" he heard her say "how can you plan your own child´s funeral? That's not how it´s meant to be"

"I know, but we can´t just isolate ourselves forever. Our children, the ones still alive, deserve better than that" Mr. Weasley´s voice was thick.

Harry started making his was up again before hearing anything else. The guilt twisted his stomach. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had to plan their child´s funeral, all because he couldn't keep the fight between him and Voldemort. He knew that if any of them knew what he was thinking they would hit him over the head, but at that moment, with the inferi still clear in his mind, he couldn't help but let the guilt unravel him.

He started making his was up the stairs again, he would spend the rest of the night on the floor, he decided. Anything to prevent the dreams he knew would come if he dared to close his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The day Remus and Tonks Lupin were buried was a beautiful day. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun shone brightly throughout the ceremony. Harry spent the entire time staring at Mrs. Tonks, who was sitting on the chair in front of him quietly sobbing. The minister spoke, but he could hardly even hear him. The words seemed meaningless in the face of reality.

But just when the ceremony was about to end Mrs. Tonks shifted slightly, revealing a tiny face with a small turquoise tuft on his head. Teddy, his godson. The thought struck him like lighting and as he looked at the boy, feeling his eyes tear up. The picture Remus had shown him did not make justice to the small wonder he had in front of him and as soon as the ceremony was over, he walked over to where Andromeda stood. She was being consoled by Molly Weasley, but as he approached she looked up.

"Harry" she said, her voice thick and, to his surprise, enveloped him in a hug. Teddy, who was squeezed in between them, cried out a protest and they hurriedly broke apart.

"May I" he said quietly and held out his arms to Teddy. Andromeda nodded and handed him the surprisingly light baby.

"Hi" he said, as she turned away from him. Not that he noticed, his eyes were only on Teddy, who just stared at him with big eyes. Then, slowly, his hair started to change until it was the exact same jet black as Harry, who was in absolute awe.

He spent the rest of the afternoon with Teddy, ignoring everything and everyone else. Now and then, Andromeda would check in with him to make sure he could handle it. She seemed lost without her grandson, like he was the anchor that was keeping her from drifting away, which was why Harry, after a long time, handed his godson back to her before leaving for the Burrow. But first they had a long conversation about Teddy and what they should do. Harry knew perfectly well that he was not ready to take care of a baby full time and Andromeda did not want to let him go, in the end they decided that he would live with Andromeda, but Harry could visit at any time and would be babysitting whenever she needed a break. Harry also insisted on helping them financially, because with her husband gone and a baby to take care of Andromeda could not work and therefore she had no income. Andromeda was hesitant but after much convincing, she accepted his offer.

He looked over at the Weasleys, who were standing together on the other side of the room. Hermione was leaning against Ron, who had his arm around her. Ginny was standing closely with Molly and Arthur was quietly speaking to Percy, who had come to the funeral despite not really knowing Remus or Tonks. Bill and Fleur had been there, but had to go after the ceremony was finished and Charlie was still at Hogwarts. George had hardly left his room since returning, not saying a word to anyone.

He went over to them to show that he was ready and after a few words with the other guests, they apparated back to the Burrow.

They had hardly been there for five seconds before being swamped by journalists, who had taken to camping out just outside the protection spells they had set up. Harry growled as they attacked him and allowed himself to be led towards the gate by Arthur and Percy while the others ran after them.

"Merlin´s pants" Ron exclaimed, slightly out of breath, when they got inside. "It´s just getting worse by the day, isn't it". Harry just gritted his teeth. When the press had realized that Harry wasn't on Hogwarts grounds anymore, they had started appearing everywhere. But somehow, they had gotten word that he was living at The Burrow and after that there had been no getting in or out of the place without them finding them. Harry, at least, was used to the attention (even though he did not like it), however Hermione and Ron, were not.

"I think I´d rather face a group of death eaters, don't you think?" Ron had exclaimed just a few days prior when he had gone to visit his dad at the ministry and been absolutely swamped by the journalists standing outside of the entrance. They were not used to the fame they had gained without even noticing, and even though Ron liked it in the beginning, even he admitted that it wasn't as great as you would think.

"You have to go public sooner or later Harry" Hermione said "otherwise they'll never go away" Harry knew that she was right, Kingsley had been trying to get him to make an appearance to the press ever since the whole thing started, but he could not get the image of Rita Skeeter out of his head.

He looked at Mrs. Weasley who was staring out the window, exhaustion clearly visible in her eyes.

They don't need this, he thought, they have been through enough already. I can´t put them through this. And it was with that in mind that he borrowed Piggy from Ron and sent a letter to Kingsley, explaining what he wanted.

The room was already filled with people, journalists, ministry employees and other people who were just there to watch. He was standing hidden from their eyes, although not for much longer, with Hermione and Ron beside him. At first they had protested about having to be in the press conference as well, but after some arguing, and heavy guilt tripping from Harry´s side, they had reluctantly agreed.

Kingsley had already talked to them about how they should act and how much they should say. He begged them to try and answer all questions, even personal ones (he looked at Ron and Hermione when saying that, which caused them to blush and Harry to grin).

His eyes scanned the crowd and the walls, one of his conditions for doing this was that Rita Skeeter was not permitted within one mile of the room, but he knew very well that she had other ways to get in.

A young witch with her wand stuck in her very messy bun waved them forward with a stressed look. She was the one responsible for the arranging (he couldn't quite recall her name) and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Quickly she put a sornus charm on each of them ("That´s the only way you´ll ever get heard") and gave the signal for the three of them to step out on the stage set out for them, just to be immediately blinded by camera flashes from all directions.

"Smile" Ron muttered under his breath and poked Harry with his elbow.

They walked up to the podium, him in the middle and with Ron and Hermione flanking him. It felt safe knowing that they were there with him, as they had been so many times before.

After a short statement by Kingsley the questioning began.

"Mr. Potter!" a man on their far left shouted "Is it true that you broke into Gringotts?"

"Hm, yes" he begun, ignoring the shouts "But it was to retrieve an item that was crucial to the fall of Voldemort"

"Harry! Harry!" another one screamed "Can you confirm the rumors that you and Hermione are an item?" Harry´s eyes widened and both Ron and Hermione went bright red.

"No that is not true" he answered firmly.

"What do you say Ms. Granger?" the same one shouted.

"The same, Harry and I are not an item" she responded.

It went on that way for what seemed like hours, questions about what had happened with Voldemort, although surprisingly few of those. Instead it seemed like the reporters were more interested in their personal life´s, going as far as asking Harry if he had any tattoos, and when he said no, asking him to prove it.

"Merlin" Ron said, about two hours later as they walked backstage again "I am never doing that again. Ever. Threaten me all you want but that was the first and last time. Did you hear that last woman! ´Have you and Harry ever dueled about a girl? ´" mimicking the rather high pitched voice of the reporter. "We defeated bloody Voldemort and all they want to know is whether or not we have fought about a girl!" Harry grunted in agreement.

With just one week left to the memorial service at Hogwarts, and Fred´s funeral just one day away, they certainly had more important things to think about then what the papers said about them (which was a lot, despite the complete lack of any information whatsoever).

"Harry!" he heard someone shout just as they were getting ready to leave, Kingsley was walking towards them in long strides. Harry smiled a bit when he saw him, even though Kingsley had been appointed temporary minister just three weeks ago, it had already been decided that he was now acting as a permanent Minister of Magic. Maybe we can finally get someone who knows what they are doing, he thought bitterly.

"Harry, can I have a word?" he asked as he came closer. Harry nodded.

"Here" Kingsley said and gave him a piece of paper. "This whole thing madeit possible, and it was the least I could do". Harry quickly scanned the paper and grinned. It was a proclamation, signed by the Minister of Magic, that journalists and reporters were now prohibited to go within one mile of the Burrow while on duty.

"And Minerva told me to give you this" Kingsley handed him a letter before being called off and, after a brief excuse and goodbye, walked away. Harry stuffed the letter in his pocket before nodding at Ron and Hermione. They apparated back to the Burrow (both he and Ron had been given their licenses just the day before) and found to their immense relief that the reporters were gone. All that was left was the Burrow, in all its shabby looking, slightly crooked glory.

Fred´s funeral was probably the most un-Fred-ish thing he had ever been through. It was a quiet ceremony, the remaining members of DA, some from the order and everyone in the Wesley family in attendance. Well, almost everyone.

That morning, Mrs. Weasley had finally had enough and blasted Georges door from its hinges (it turned out that he was incredibly good at locking charms), just to find his room empty and a note on his bed saying that he would be back soon, and not to worry. Mrs. Weasley had of course spent the next hour storming around the house, snapping at everyone who dared approach her, but thankfully calmed down just before leaving.

Ginny and Harry spent most of the time before the funeral together, laying in the garden watching the gnomes run back and forth. They didn't talk much, it just felt unnecessary.

The grave was in the same cemetery that Remus and Tonks had been buried at, their graves almost visible from where Harry sat. There was no minister making speeches, like the one at Dumbledore´s funeral, and that he was thankful for. It felt like it would have been to disrespect Fred and the person he was.

After a short while, Fred´s body was lowered into the ground and a lump started to build in Harry throat. All too soon, it was done and they were left to stare at the glaringly white, marble tombstone.

 _Fred Weasley_

 _1978-1998_

 _Beloved son, brother and friend._

Harry couldn't look at it. It looked too much like his parents graves.

Just as the gathering were preparing to leave, a large bang made them jump and draw out their wands. A giant dragon rose from Fred´s grave, fireworks exploding around it, and soared through the air until it finally stopped and went out with a massive roar. Harry looked around him, his eyes finally stopping at Percy who was standing right beside him grinning, with tears in his eyes. When he saw that Harry was looking at him, he leaned down and said:

"It´s what he would have wanted" Harry just nodded, quietly taking in the scene before him, because even though the fireworks were done, the ground was now littered with glitter in red and gold. It was everywhere, on the people watching, in the trees, on the tombstone. And he knew that if Fred really was still out there, watching them, he would be laughing his arse off.

 **Georges POV**

He stood hidden among the trees, watching the ceremony in peace. He knew that he could just go out there, be with his famil, but something stopped him. They would comfort him, look at him with sad eyes because he reminded them of _him._ He knew the feeling.

The prank with the fireworks, he had to admit, was genius. Fred would have loved it. He smiled slightly to the Gryffindor tribute. Probably his first smile in over three weeks.

After they had gone, some of them laughing, some crying (and some cases, both), he walked out of his hiding place and up to the grave. He huffed at the words carved on the tomb. Fred was probably rolling in his grave, that´s how cheesy they were.

He got down on his knees, his hands hugging the dirt that was now concealing his brother from the world. He should probably cry, he knew that, but there was no tears left. Just emptiness and loneliness. Like half of him was cut off. He sat there for a long time, how long he didn't know.

"Goodbye Fred" he whispered "make then laugh up there, and I´ll be there before you know it". He got up and started walking away, but stopping. He pointed his wand at the grave and those stupid, sentimental words was replaced by the only thing Fred would have wanted.

 _Fred Weasley_

 _1978-1998_

 _Mischief managed._

As he was walking out of the cemetery he caught a glimpse of himself in a pond, and jumped almost a yard in the air before realizing what it was. The disappointment and sorrow hit him like a brick wall, it apparently didn't matter that he had covered all of the reflective surfaces in the room. He would never be able to look himself in the mirror again.

Angrily he looked away, before coming to a decision and apparating to the first place he could think off.

 **Okay. Now I´m sad. I needed to write this chapter but now I´ve just been spending the last half hour scrolling through Tumblr, looking at pics/texts about Fred and George and crying.**

 **Don´t worry, there will be more Harry/Ginny soon, but I felt like the family stuff needed to happen first, with all the funerals and Teddy and also a bit more George.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was the day of the Hogwarts memorial. In just an hour, he, Hermione and the Weasleys were going to apparate to Hogsmeade, where they were going to be transported into the castle grounds before everyone else arrived, to avoid large crowds.

He and Ginny were sitting in the garden, softly talking. During the past month, they had talked about everything. He explained to her what he had been doing and she told him more about what had happened at Hogwarts. She was grateful, of course, for what he had done, but saddened by what he had to be through. He told her every single detail, leaving only Ron´s brief disappearance out of his story, he felt like that wasn't his story to tell and that if Ron wanted his family to know about it he would tell them himself.

They hadn't talked much about the future, because for the first time in years it seemed as if they actually had one. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying. She had two more years in school, and he… he couldn't see himself return there anytime soon.

He had spoken to Kingsley about it, and had gotten the advice to wait. Sooner or later he would figure out what he wanted… at least he hoped he so.

Their relationship was different. Before it had been fun, long walks and kissing. Now it was, deeper. They kissed of course, and it was amazing. But it was like the crush had developed into love. In the months they had spent apart, they had both matured and so had the relationship. He knew that there was a chance they wouldn't make it, but right then it felt as if it would last forever.

The first weeks they had struggled a bit, feeling almost nervous around each other, but now that was nearly gone. If everything they had been through had taught them anything, it was that love was worth the risk. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Dobby, Sirius, Snape, his parents and so many more had died believing that. Harry was alive because of it. The family still mourned Fred and the others they had lost. George still hadn't showed up since the day before Fred´s funeral and they were all starting to worry but had decided not to look for him.

("He´s of age," Mr. Weasley said when Mrs. Weasley had insisted. "He´ll do what he has to and we can´t stop him.")

Ron and Hermione however, seemed to have completely skipped the awkward first part of a relationship, probably due to their long friendship. They spent as much time together as Harry and Ginny, if not more. It was strange, but still something he was relived about. He was happy for his friends, and despite them dating, they spent no less time with him. They actually seemed to be going out of their way to spend more time with him, probably because they feared that he would feel left out.

Although there were some parts of their relationship he could do without, like constantly walking in on them snogging on Ron´s bed (Ron apparently refused to do it in Ginny´s room, which Hermione was currently sharing with her), and the awkwardness that came after. Although, it did give him a lot of time alone with Ginny in her room, so it wasn't all that bad.

Something crunched in his pocket, pulling him away from his thoughts. He took it out, just to put in back in again with a slight scowl. It was the letter Kingsley had given to him from McGonagall. In the letter, she asked him if he wanted to speak at the ceremony. He hadn't even responded, she knew what his answer would be. Hadn't he done enough?

"Alright, time to go" Mrs. Weasley said as the family gathered in the kitchen.

"Is everyone here?" Percy asked and counted. He stopped at Ginny, looking down at his feet. It was Mr. Weasley who finally broke the tension.

"George knows the memorial is today, if he feels capable he will…" the rest was drowned out by the sound of someone opening and slamming the door. That someone then continued through the hallway and into the kitchen, only stopping when they realized that the whole family was there.

"What on earth have you done to your hair?!" Mrs. Weasley said, shocked, to George. He looked tired and weary, like he hadn't slept in days. And his hair was in a brilliant emerald green, which accentuated his missing ear. For a moment he looked like he didn't want to respond before opening his mouth and clearing his throat, as if it was unused to talking.

"Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought I saw…" his voice broke and he looked down. The family was quiet.

"Well then" Arthur said, trying to keep his voice from breaking "We need to get going. Harry?" Harry nodded and put on his invisibility cloak hoping to ward of the reporters that would be waiting for them there.

Hogsmeade was quiet, unsettlingly quiet. All of the shops were closed, the windows dark, even Three Broomsticks seemed closed. It was like a ghost town, so unlike the beautiful, lively place he remembered from his years at Hogwarts. As soon as they got there, they expected to be swarmed by people only to be met by absolute silence. Cautiously, Harry took of his cloak and looked around, wand in his hand.

Soon, a tiny figure appeared and they heard the familiar voice of Fillius Flitwick.

"Hello, and welcome to you all," he said, with a small smile.

"Where is everyone?" Hermione asked.

"Most people are at Hogwarts, helping to set up the ceremony. The shops have been closed for a few days because everyone wanted to pitch in and help," he paused. "I think… I think you will like it." And with that he scuttled off, with the others following closely behind him.

Soon they were inside Hogwarts grounds, the castle visible from where they stood. It looked strange. The last time they had seen it, it had been in shambles. Now it was almost fully restored, but with newer patches standing out like bright pink paint against the façade.

The ceremony, Flitwick explained, was to be held just by the lake, not far from the place Dumbledore was buried. A stage had been built, chairs sitting all around it and plenty of space for people to stand when they ran out of them.

Flitwick started to lead them to the front row, but Mr. Weasley shook his head and the family took seats in the fourth row instead.

Soon, people started getting there. First came the professors, the inhabitants of Hogsmeade and the workers who had helped with the restoration. With them came Charlie, who quietly sat down next to his father. Then more people started to arrive. Bill and Fleur came with the remains of the order, all of them taking places beside or behind the Weasleys. Kingsley also arrived, with a ministry party. He waved at them, before taking a seat at the front.

After that, it was mostly a blur to Harry. He could remember Dean and Seamus seating themselves in the row in front of him. Most of the DA sat with them; Luna and her father (who was battered, but alright), Neville and his grandmother, Cho Chang and everyone else. More and more kept coming, the area behind the chairs already running out. It seemed as if the entire Wizarding World had decided to show up, all of them taking their places quietly, their heads bowed in respect.

Not long after that, Kingsley went up to speak, his voice ringing clear over the crowd.

"Exactly one month ago, an event that rocked our world took place here at Hogwarts. A battle, facing against invaders. Lord Voldemort was killed, and his followers, scattered. But this came to a great cost, not only during this battle, but all of the battles before this one as well. We are here today to mourn and celebrate, the brave people who died for what they believed in. The people who did not care about the danger they were facing and gave their life´s so that we could keep on living. But we are also here to celebrate the survivors, who have gone through so much and who fought to keep us safe. Battle is not a glorious thing. It is horror, and pain and death. Those who have fought know this, but they still chose to fight, to fight for what is right. And even though it may not feel like it now, we are entering a new era. An era of safety and peace and love. We will rebuild our world, we will heal and we will continue on, to honor those who died for us and celebrate those who fought. And that is why, today I and Minister of Magic declare that anyone, in this world or the next, who fought for us in this battle, will be awarded a Merlin order of second degree" the crowd seemed to explode, shouts and cries echoing across the lake. Kingsley stayed up on the stage, waiting for everyone to calm down. Harry just felt empty inside, an award? It felt like nothing. It didn't matter. An award would not bring back the ones who had died, it would not heal the wounds.

"We can´t forget what happened. We shouldn't either. It is important that we remember, so we don't make the same mistakes again. And that is why we have created this monument," he flicked his wand, revealing a large wall with things inscribed all over it. "These are the names of all of those who died for our world, and so that you remember them, I will read them all."

The list of names was long, far too long. Some he didn't recognize, some he had only known vaguely. And some hit him like a blow in the stomach.

"Fred Weasley"

"Remus Lupin"

"Nymphadora Tonks Lupin"

"Colin Creevy"

"Lavender Brown"

"Sirius Black"

"Severus Snape" there was a collective gasp and he bowed his head. He had asked Kingsley to add Snape´s name to the list. He owed it to the man.

The list continued on, until finally ending with:

"Albus Dumbledore"

"Lily and James Potter"

He felt his eyes tear up, but he didn't care. He cried, for the first time in months. On his left side, Hermione was sniffling and Ron hugging her tightly. On his right was Ginny, her head against his shoulder and her arm around him. She didn't cry, but her eyes glistened. They all sat there for a collective minute, nothing but the occasional sniffle breaking the silence. After that, many more talked. Some from the ministry, some of the Professors. When all of the speeches were finished, McGonagall flicked her wand, pointing at the Entrance hall, where the monument would be displayed as a part of the wall.

After the formal ceremony was over, most people left. In the end, only about eighty people were still there. The order and DA stayed, sitting in various places just talking. There was a feeling of peacefulness in the air, the ceremony had left them all with a sense of lightness, a burden lifted from their chests.

He, Ron, Ginny and Hermione stayed with the crowd for a while before leaving. They went to the tree, the same tree that he and Ginny had met under after the battle, the same tree his father and his friends had sat under in Snape´s memory. They just lay there, not talking. They didn't need to.

A loud clicking sound made them all jump and turn around, hands halfway to their wands.

There, just a few yards away, stood Dennis Creevy with a camera.

"I´m sorry," he said "I just… it looked so peaceful. It felt like a moment to save".

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Is that Colin´s camera?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Yes" Dennis said and smiled shyly "I couldn't just… It didn't feel right to just let it collect dust. He would have wanted me to continue." Harry nodded.

"I´m sorry about your brother," he said.

"I´m not." The response shocked them, but Dennis just continued "I mean, I´m sad that he died. The first weeks were terrible, I just couldn't do anything. But then I thought that he wouldn't have wanted me to do that. He wouldn't have wanted me to just shut the world out and refuse to let him go. He… he died, but he died fighting for what he believed in". He paused for a second and then continued. "It´s like he said" he nodded at Kingsley. "He died fighting for what was right, he died a Gryffindor." Dennis turned away to leave.

"Wait," Harry got up. "Before you go, can you do me a favor?"

George was sitting far away from the rest of the group. He couldn't handle it, the condolences, and the well-wishers. It all just felt fake.

Steps alerted him about someone approaching and he prepared to be bombarded once again. But once the turned around, he found a small boy, no older than 14, standing behind him with a camera.

"Hi," the boy said. George just looked at him, there was something vaguely familiar about the boy, and he just couldn't put his finger on it. "Can I sit? I just need to get away for a minute." George didn't say anything, which the boy seemed to take as approval because he sat down. "You´re George right? George Weasley?" He nodded. "I'm Dennis, Dennis Creevy."

Aha, now he remembered. It was the younger brother of Colin Creevy, the little guy who practically worshipped Harry. Colin Creevy had died in the battle he remembered. Suddenly it felt like he knew why the boy wanted to get away.

"I heard your brother´s name, he died in the battle?" George nodded again. "I´m sorry"

"I´m sorry about your brother too." George found himself responding.

"Why did you dye your hair?" the question was unexpected and caught him off guard.

"Because every time I saw myself…" he stopped, looking down.

"You thought you saw him?" Dennis finished for him. "I remember him, you two were quite inseparable." They sat in silence for a minute. "So why aren't you out there?" Did this kid ever stop asking questions?

"I can´t take it, all the kindness. They all want to cry and move on, but I can´t help but… I feel empty inside." He couldn't talk with his family, or his friends. But this little kid made him spill everything, like he was forcing it out of him. He told Dennis all of it, how he had shut himself out from the rest of the family, how he feared his own reflection which had led to him deciding to dye his hair. And how he spent his days fighting the emptiness that was threatening to swallow him whole.

"Well," Dennis said when he was finished. "I didn´t know your brother. But from what I remember, he seemed like a pretty jolly fella´, not the kind of guy who would want you to mope around like this."

"I just don´t know who I am without him." it was only a whispered thought, but Dennis heard it.

"And you never will, unless you find out. And you won´t do it like this. My brother died too, and I have found a way to honor him" he raised the camera and snapped a picture. "What will you do to honor yours?"

George knew the answer to that question. Fred was the one that had first come up with the idea of the joke shop. Those hours inventing, hatching ideas and plans, were some of the best he ever had. The joke shop had been theirs, and now it was just his. A constant reminder of his brother, just like him.

"Thanks," he said to Dennis and got up. "And just so you know, you aren't you brother either, you don't have to do everything that he did. Find what you like to do, and do that."

And with those words he walked away, towards his family and friends, because they were all he had left and he´d be damned if he lost them too.

That night, they ate a huge dinner at the burrow. They had invited everyone, and so many had decided to accept the offer that they had to move tables outside. It was a beautiful night, and with the lanterns in the trees, it felt almost magical. Harry spent the night chatting with Neville and Luna, who were both happy to be home. Neville still had the sword of Gryffindor, but said he was planning on returning it to Hogwarts as soon as he could.

The dinner was a success and all guest went home, slightly bigger than they had been when they got there.

When Harry got up to the room he and Ron shared, he found an owl. The letter was thick and when he opened it, a picture fell out. He looked in the parcel and found a note.

 _Harry_

 _It came out pretty well don't you think? Colin would have loved it._

 _Dennis_

The picture was the one he had asked Dennis to take down by the lake. It was him, Hermione, Ron and Ginny standing closely together. Ron had his arm around Hermione´s waist and Harry had his left arm around Hermione´s shoulders and the other around Ginny. They were all smiling with tear stained faces. It was a muggle photo, and it felt right somehow. He smiled. Then he noticed that the owl had dropped another parcel, picking it up, he read the name on it and frowned.

line

When George finally got into his room, the one that used to be Bill´s, he noticed a parcel lying on the floor like it had been shuffled under the door. Confused he picked it up and opened it. A note fell out.

 _George_

 _It came out good, I thought you might want it._

 _Dennis Creevy_

He looked in the parcel and found a photo. It was the picture Colin had taken while they talked. His green hair clashed terribly with his ginger eyebrows, his missing ear even more visible than usual. But it was him, he didn't jump or cry because he thought he saw someone else. For the first time in weeks he saw only himself.

 **Another chapter done. Great thanks to Kitt who betaed this chapter and helped me out with making it readable. Hope you liked it, please review if there is anything you would like to comment on. Or just to tell me if you liked it or not.**


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